A dry van is a way to go if you want to ship something by truck. It’s one of the most popular types of freight trucks on the market for company drivers due to its versatility and affordability. Here we’ll explain what makes dry vans so great and what you need to know if you want to use them for your next shipment!
What Is a Dry Van Truck?
A dry van truck is a cargo box on wheels, which you can use to transport most types of goods. It is very useful for owner-operators. These trucks run on diesel and are usually 53 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 13 feet high. The best part about using a dry van truck is that your cargo remains safe in an enclosed space throughout the trip. There’s no need to worry about spills or damage from rain or snow!
Source: Adobe Stock
Dry Van Trailer Dimensions
You can find the dimensions of your trailer by measuring the length, width, and height. You will also want to know the weight of your trailer and its volume capacity. This information is important because it tells you how much cargo you can fit in your truck’s box. When making a purchase, it is important to make the right decision. It’s best to choose top-rated trucks that you can’t go wrong with. It turned out to be the best investment in practice.
Source: Adobe Stock
53’ Trailers
53’ trailers are the most commonly used size. Can be used to transport household goods, appliances, and furniture. They can also be used to transport construction equipment such as:
- cranes or forklifts;
- small vehicles such as cars and motorcycles;
- or large vehicles like semi-trucks.
Source: Onewabash
48’ Trailers
48’ trailers can haul up to 48,000 pounds (22 tons). They’re used for light to medium weight freight.
If you’re shipping a large load or if you don’t want to be stuck with overweight charges, it’s best to use a 53′ trailer instead of a 48′, to avoid truck overweight fines. You’ll be able to take advantage of lower shipping rates by using an extra 3 feet on your cargo.
28’ Trailers
The 28’ trailer is often used to haul smaller loads, with a maximum weight of 10,000 pounds. The length makes it ideal for moving larger items like furniture, appliances, and other bulky items that would be difficult to load into smaller trailers. It’s also a great choice if you’re transporting lighter loads on shorter distances.
Box Truck
A box truck is a small truck that is used for transporting goods. Box trucks are often used to transport goods short distances in local areas, and can also be used to transport goods to and from warehouses.
Box trucks are usually smaller than dry vans. This means they’re not as capable of transporting larger loads like boxes or pallets. They’re also not designed to hold the weight of a fully loaded container. So, tend to have higher mileage than other kinds of commercial trucks.
Source: Adobe Stock
How Much Weight Can It Haul?
The weight capacity of a dry van trailer is dependent on the size and model of the truck it’s attached to. The maximum load capacity for a typical dry van trailer is 25,000 lbs., though this can vary depending on how much freight you plan to haul.
If you’re planning on hauling heavy loads or commodities that are particularly large and bulky, you must speak with your shipping provider about purchasing an appropriately rated truck capable of handling the weight. If not, there may be damage done to both your vehicle and cargo as well as delays caused by having to get new equipment before continuing your journey.
What Are The Usual Dry Van Commodities?
Dry vans are used for the transportation of non-perishable items. Dry vans can contain any commodity that does not require refrigeration or special handling. Many dry van loads consist of consumer goods such as clothing, food, electronics, and furniture. Other common dry van commodities include raw materials such as steel and minerals. They also carry heavy machinery like tractors and motorcycles to their final destination.
Advantages of Dry Van Trucking
There are many advantages to dry van trucking over other types of trucking. The most obvious is the cost, which is significantly lower than some of the alternatives. Since it’s a more common type of transportation, dry vans also tend to be more readily available at times when you need them most—and this means faster turnaround times and fewer delays in receiving your shipments.
One of the biggest benefits of using dry vans for your business or personal needs is that they can be used for almost any commodity: there’s no need to worry about whether or not your items will fit inside a container (or if they’re too fragile). If you’re looking at transporting heavy equipment like construction supplies or machinery parts such as engines; shipping by a dry van has been shown time and time again as being one of the best ways to go about getting them from point A (delivery)to point B (destination).
What Are the Disadvantages?
- Less space available: Dry vans have less storage capacity than flatbeds, so if you’re planning on carrying more cargo than the typical load (or if you want your truck to be full), this may not be the best option for you.
- No protection from animals: If there’s any possibility that wildlife could damage or destroy your goods during transport (e.g., bears or wolves), then dry van shipping would probably not be suitable for your needs because of its lack of animal containment features (i.e., cages).
- No protection from other vehicles: Because there isn’t much room between loads within a single trailer during the transit time, there isn’t much room between vehicles on highways either—meaning that drivers will have limited visibility since they’re surrounded mainly by trailers instead of open road ahead and behind them as they drive down highways with multiple lanes going in opposite directions at high speeds!
Dry Van vs. Flatbed
There are a few different types of cargo containers—a standard container, which can hold 20′ or 40′ of the product; an open-top container, which is like a large box; and a special purpose container for things like machinery. Dry vans are the most common type of freight carrier and are used for shipments that don’t require any special handling or equipment.
Flatbeds are like mobile warehouses, with ramps that allow vehicles to drive on and off without having to be lifted or lowered by a crane. They can haul anything from cars to boats and even big machinery like generators.
Source: Stock Adobe
Dry Van vs. Reefer
You can expect that your dry van shipping experience will be a little different than the one you might have with a reefer trailer. Reefer trailers are refrigerated and used to transport fruits, meats, dairy products, and other perishables. You can expect that your dry van shipping experience will be a lot like the one you had when you shipped items in an enclosed trailer with sides and a roof.
The main difference between these two types of shipments is the temperature control provided by each type of vehicle. Dry vans are not climate-controlled, so they’re only used for non-refrigerated goods like furniture or mattresses. This means they may become damaged if left out in extreme heat or cold temperatures for too long without proper care or protection from damage during delivery!
People want to get their shipments as fast as possible. You need a certain level of understanding to make all the right decisions. By reading over this, you have started that process. Now you have some good knowledge to back up your decision-making.
For more insights into the trucking world, follow us on our YouTube channel Extra Mile International Inc Trucking Company, and visit our Instagram profile @extramiletx.
Mia is a Fleet Manager and Recruiter at Extra Mile International, based in Chicago. Mia is over 5 years in the trucking industry while driving trucks for more than 3 years.
